LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — LEX 18 is following through on a commitment to ask questions about safety on the University of Kentucky campus.
It comes as UK police have increased security and safety measures, including expanded patrols, after several incidents on the north campus.
Since the start of the fall semester, the university has put out five crime bulletins related to sexual assault reports on campus.
"I probably will just start to think a little bit more about where I go at night and who I walk with and try to make safer decisions," said UK student Jane Boschert
On Friday, the latest crime bulletin was put out by UK police, informing students and staff of a reported sexual assault.
The university released a statement to LEX 18:
We take these reports very seriously and investigate them thoroughly. Sexual assault is never the victim's fault. The only person responsible is the perpetrator. And, we know it takes us all to prevent sexual assaults in our community. The university continues to require all first-year students to take a sexual assault and alcohol awareness course and offers numerous programs on sexual assault prevention through UK's VIP Center. UK Police has invested in its Special Victims Unit to help remove barriers that survivors of any interpersonal violence face when reporting incidents such as these. Additionally, UKPD has increased its security and safety measures, including expanded patrols, particularly on North Campus. We continue to remind our community of measures they can take to help ensure their personal safety. Leaders from across campus are monitoring these reports and are planning additional efforts around sexual assault prevention.
Since the start of fall semester, the University of Kentucky has put out five crime bulletins related to sexual assault reports on campus.
The most recent report occurred on Rose Street and Euclid Avenue. The victim told UK police they did not know the attacker, but investigators said they were able identify a suspect.
The university offers numerous programs on sexual assault prevention through UK's Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, also known as the VIP Center.
"When we see what we think might be an increase in incidents happening, what we actually see, is an increase in reporting because sexual assault is one of the under reported crimes that happens in our culture," explained Lenzi Dodgen, the acting director of the center.
Dodgen said it's available to anyone in the UK community who has experienced interpersonal violence, such as sexual assault.
"Reporting is such a highly individualized choice for each survivor. Some people decide to do it because that feels right for them, and some people choose not to for a variety of reasons and those are alright and just as well," said Dodgen.
Dodgen wants anyone who chooses to visit the center, to leave feeling informed and empowered to take the next steps that feel safe for them.
"Our hope is that they walk away with first and foremost knowing that we care and that they matter and that they are worthy," said Dodgen.
To learn more about the VIP Center, just visit https://studentsuccess.uky.edu/vip-center
Safety is a huge topic of conversation and concern for both parents and students. During LEX 18's research, we found information about just how safe college campuses are across the nation.
According to the US Department of Education, college campus safety in the United States has improved in recent years, with fewer reported crimes and a variety of safety measures in place.
For example, in 2020-2021, there were 31,137 criminal offenses reported on over 10,000 college campuses, a 53% decrease from 2005.
The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put into place to improve campus safety.
The Department of Education's campus safety site allows users to check safety on college campuses across Kentucky. LEX 18 is committed to tracking safety concerns on college campuses across our state.
